Red Pitch (NHB Modern Plays)

Tyrell Williams

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781839040610
• eBook ISBN: 9781788505062
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Red Pitch. South London. Three lifelong friends Omz, Bilal and Joey are playing football. Like they always have. Living out dreams of football stardom. Beyond their football pitch, local shops are closing, old flats are being demolished as new flats shoot up, some residents struggle to stay while others rush to leave.

When your local football pitch has been a home from home, a place where you've laughed, fought and forged friendships, what happens when it's under threat?

A coming-of-age story about what it means to belong somewhere, Tyrell Williams' fast-paced and sharp-edged play tells a powerful story about gentrification, regeneration and the impact of this relentless change on London's communities.

Red Pitch was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in February 2022, directed by Associate Artistic Director Daniel Bailey.

Scene One

It’s the summer holidays and there are two young friends, BILAL and OMZ, playing football inside of a football pitch whilst the third friend, JOEY, is attentively watching the game whilst in goal. The game is FA.

BILAL and OMZ are really going for it. There is grabbing, hard tackles flying in and sweat pouring from their faces. Eventually, BILAL does his classic ‘drop, drop’ shoulder move (a move in which he shifts his body weight to his right then to his left then back to his right whilst tapping the ball in that direction) taking him around OMZ. BILAL shoots and scores a goal past JOEY, effectively ending the game.

BILAL remains humble in victory. OMZ is disappointed.

JOEY. Good shot bro.

BILAL. Light work.

JOEY. Mbappe yeah? Make sure you do that at the trials.

BILAL. Obviously. ‘Drop, drop’ shoulder – easy.

BILAL does the ‘drop, drop’ shoulder move again without the ball.

Omz, I want a tropical juice yeah.

OMZ pauses for a second, taken aback. He looks around as though BILAL could never be talking to him.

OMZ. What?

BILAL. Tropical juice. It’s a blue carton – says ‘Sun Pride’ on it.

OMZ. Why’s that my problem?

JOEY. Here we go…

BILAL. Red Pitch rules: Loser of FA goes shop for the winner. You lost. I won so pick me up a tropical juice… and a Twix.

JOEY. Let’s just play FIFA you man.

OMZ stands still staring at BILAL.

BILAL. Bro, this isn’t shop, this is Red Pitch.

OMZ. You cheated. You didn’t / ask me if I was ready.

BILAL. / ask me if I was ready.

Pause.

OMZ. Wanna play best two / out of three?

BILAL. That was best two out of three.

OMZ. Joey / let it in.

JOEY. Nooo, I never.

OMZ. I’m not going nowhere. Where’s Femi? We’re supposed to be playing two-on-two anyway.

JOEY. Femi said he’d be down in twenty minutes when I knocked for him… (Checking his phone.) one hour and fifty-seven minutes ago.

OMZ. I bet you Femi’s looking for that purple shirt. He loves wearing that purple shirt.

JOEY. Why does he wear it? Honestly, does he think it’s cool?

BILAL. That shirt makes no sense. I can’t lie.

OMZ. I think his brother got it for him.

BILAL. His brother set him up ’cause his brother’s drip is on point, always.

JOEY. That’s ’cause his brother is making big money. I think he does law – that’s gonna be me soon, looking fly. (Beat.) It was sick when Femi’s brother used to come Red Pitch.

BILAL. That was time ago.

OMZ. None of the olders come any more. (Beat.) You sure Femi’s coming Joey?

JOEY. He said he was.

BILAL. You lot know that Femz is a liar. I remember knocking for this guy once, he said that he weren’t allowed out, I said cool, okay, fair enough. It was winter them times and it was getting dark early or maybe he had a family commitment – whatever. I came Red Pitch now, worked on a few tekkers – can you believe next minute, I see him chilling in the park with his girl on the swings?

They all laugh.

OMZ. This guy.

BILAL. Swinging back and forth like this is a romcom!

OMZ. You should’ve went up to him.

BILAL. I did. He said that he couldn’t play football ’cause he injured his leg when he was at work. He works in an office bro. Did he injure it making coffee?

They all laugh.

JOEY. Femi is setting pace though. He has a job, has a girlfriend at sixteen years old! They go on dates and everything.

BILAL. Psssh, sixteen is young man. We have time.

JOEY. So you man don’t want a girl?! Someone to take care of you, someone you can take care of? You guys can be chilling, watching movies all cuddled up in bed on a cold day like today – eating popcorn in the warmth watching Save the Last Dance.

JOEY imagines the scenario.

‘Hey, hey, hey, you have the last popcorn’, ‘No, you have it’, ‘Okay, we’ll share it then.’ You man saying you don’t want that?!

BILAL. ‘Save the Last’ what?

JOEY. ‘Dance’ – it’s some ooolllddd-school dance film. Litty though.

OMZ. Joseph, it’s me: Omz. Do you know with whom that you speak with? I’ve had girls for days.

BILAL. Swear? What’s their names?

OMZ. You lot don’t know them.

JOEY. Try us.

OMZ gets the ball and then starts bouncing it. BILAL and JOEY wait.

OMZ. Huh? Oh, you man still want names?

JOEY. You know we want names.

OMZ. Classified – that’s their names.

BILAL and JOEY shake their heads.

JOEY. Let’s just play FIFA you ma…

OMZ. We wait for Femz. We’re meant to be playing two-on-two.

JOEY. It’s like you love him.

OMZ. Dead! It’ll be better practice for football trials.

BILAL. Ayyy! That’s gonna be nuts! Professional football trials you know – I’m gonna be ‘drop, drop’ shouldering all over like…

BILAL demonstrates the ‘drop, drop’ shoulder move again.

OMZ. Yeah, exactly but we need to practise, that’s why Femz needs to be here. Can’t be a professional footballer without putting in the work.

Silence.

JOEY. It’s cutting out ’ere man… Supposed to be summer you know? Climate change is real.

OMZ. Shake my head. You believe everything you hear on Insta. Some any conspiracy theorist.

JOEY. I’m not you, you know.

OMZ. Bilz, ain’t –

BILAL. Not involved bro. What’s the point in saying we play and you’re not even gonna follow through?

OMZ. What you talkin’ ’bout?

BILAL. Shop – You’re the one that said ‘FA Red Pitch rules.’

JOEY. It’s true though.

OMZ. Joey, stop bum-licking, man.

JOEY. I’m not bum-licking.

OMZ. You are.

JOEY. How? That’s what you said though.

OMZ. So what? Ever since primary school days, you’ve always been defending Bilal like you’re his lawyer. Why are you here in your jeans anyway? Rubbish footballer.

JOEY. I’m better than you and I’m just saying that’s what you said. How is that bum-licking?

OMZ. Don’t lie, doesn’t he always stick up for you Bilal?

JOEY. Cap.

OMZ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production Details
• Acknowledgements
• Epigraph
• Characters
• Red Pitch
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information